


Redemption

by icecreamconolies



Series: Short Stories [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icecreamconolies/pseuds/icecreamconolies
Summary: Jia Shimada became a phantom thief to steal one person's heart. She and Goro Akechi had been friends for quite some time, but she knew something wasn't sitting right in her chest about him. Watching him struggle to juggle school, the celebrity life, and actual detective work, she wanted to change his cognition in order for him to stop wanting the admiration of the entire public.
Relationships: Akechi Goro / insert
Series: Short Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825096
Kudos: 4





	Redemption

"Shimada-san!" 

Jia looked up at the sound of her name, thinking she misheard the sound due to the clap of thunder that came right before it. She gave Akechi a small smile when she saw him approaching her table at the diner. Jia put her pencil down, deciding to take a break as Akechi slid into the seat across from her. "What brings you to this humble diner, Akechi-kun?" She asked, faking formality. 

"Same as you," He replied with a light laugh. Akechi and Jia, both students of the same school, built a friendship over their studious habits and concern with the Phantom Thieves. Considering Jia's interest in psychology, the first cases of "mental breakdowns" have been a topic of her interest. "It's usually empty here during a storm." 

"I thought you'd be at the police station with Niijima-san, considering the whole Kaneshiro scandal." Of course, the public had the most limited knowledge considering the police's concern with the public's opinion on their struggle to even identify the mafia boss. Akechi, having no one else to confide in, told Jia some more aspects of his work life after deciding he could trust her. 

For many reasons, Goro Akechi worked alone. He preferred to play his cards really close to his chest and leave much to the imagination of his fans. However, he found an odd feeling of comfort being able to confide in someone who shared his belief. In his opinion, it wasn't a loss either. It's not like he was confiding in someone who would hinder his studies and reputation. More accurately, it was like a calm in the storm of backlash for his steadfast opinion. 

_ How ionic,  _ Jia thought as she remembered that she herself was part of the Phantom Thieves. 

"Sae-san is a little more than occupied," Akechi sighed. The waitress came by and gave Jia the coffee she ordered, but Akechi politely declined when she asked if he wanted anything. "Do you really think the Phantom Thieves could capture her attention so wholly?"

"I think they'd attract the attention of a lot of people," Jia replied as casually as she could. As their newest member, even she was still somewhat part of the population that is trying to understand their so-called "justice." "Especially after saving those who have been targeted by the mafia."

"I suppose. If only the public would see why I'm against them," Akechi sighed. Jia said nothing. "Well, are you studying for exams?" 

Thankful for a change in topic, Jia nodded. "I'm studying calculus right now."

"Ah! We could do that together!" Akechi beamed, taking out his own notebook filled with copious notes and examples. Together, they studied until the cafe closed and parted ways at the station. 

Back at the dorm, Jia entered Akechi's name into the Nav.

_ No match found. _

Jia was shocked. Surely someone like him would have a palace, right? She sighed deeply and closed the Nav. "I'll take care of it some other way," She declared quietly to herself.

~*~

The cognitive Akechi pointed its gun at the real Akechi. "Haha, I was such a fool," Akechi chuckled. He stood up straight and pointed his gun at Joker. Jia couldn't move. She really believed she was going to witness Akechi's betrayal first-hand.

Learning of his ulterior motives utterly destroyed Jia. Sure, he had strong feelings against the Phantom Thieves, but hate? Murderous intents? When Futaba confirmed that Akechi is the true culprit, Jia could hardly believe her ears. No wonder he had no palace; he's a persona-user. Not only that, but he'd been planning on killing Akira. The whole bombshell hit her like a ton of bricks, but she couldn't let her teammates see that. Jia hid her devastation with anger, but the anger just wouldn't stick. 

_Akechi is not the monster that I just_ _fought_. Jia thought. _The Akechi I know would never..._

"Yes..." The cognitive Akechi's voice snapped Jia out of her thoughts. "That's the you our captain wishes to see." The real Akechi chuckled darkly.

"Don't misunderstand. You're the one who's going to disappear!" Akechi mustered up the strength to point his gun at the cognition and pulled the trigger. The cognition dropped to his knees and groaned in pain. The Phantom Thieves all gasped in shock. Then Akechi pointed the gun at Joker. 

Rather, past Joker. The world stopped turning. Jia read the movement faster than any of the other Phantom Thieves.

"NO!"

Without thinking, she dove toward Akechi as he pulled the trigger, and the bulkhead closed behind her.

"LUNA!" Futaba shrieked. Jia stood shakily as Akechi looked at her, totally perplexed.

"You fool..!" He gasped, still sore from their battle.

"Go! We'll find our way out of here!" Jia yelled back.

"Why..?" Akechi gasped, still shocked.

"Get behind me," Jia said, ignoring him. "Either take cover or help." She then took off her mask and summoned her persona, Kaguya. Kaguya gathered her powers and cast a Bless attack on the surrounding shadows. The cognitive Akechi started screaming in frustration. 

"Per-son-a," Jia turned around to see the real Akechi summoning Loki. "I will not be upshown," He weakly chuckled. Kaguya and Loki worked together to battle the smaller Shadows while Jia and Akechi unsheathed their blades and took on the fake. They landed blow after blow, dodging its gunfire and striking when the opportunity arose.

"You fools!" The cognitive Akechi gasped, falling to his knees. "Our captain will see the masses through to the future!" He screeched before fading away into nothing. Jia and Akechi stood gasping for their breaths as their masks reappeared on their faces. The weakling shadows faded along with the cognitive Akechi.

"Shimada- _ san _ ," Akechi finally said after they'd caught their breaths. "After all I did to you, why-" 

"We need to find a way out of here," Jia said, ignoring him. "Here lean on my shoulder." Akechi wasn't fond of relying on others, but the battle with the Phantom Thieves had weakened him significantly, and he had no choice but to silently comply, slinging his arm across Jia's shoulders and limping along with her as they looked for a way to get the doors open. Jia, in frustration, summoned Kaguya and blast a hole through the surprisingly-thick bulkhead, even for a cognition. Slowly, she lead Akechi to the entry point, and they stumbled into reality. 

"We need to keep you somewhere safe," Jia mumbled. She had no better idea than to contact Akira, so she took out her phone and sent him a private message.

_ Jia: I'm safe, and I'm here with Akechi. _

_ Akira: Thank goodness  _

_ Jia: We need to hide him from Shido. _

_ Is there any chance we could hide him at Leblanc? _

_ I don't want to put anything pressure on Boss. _

_ Akira: It should be alright. _

_ Jia: Oh, thank goodness. I'll be right there.  _

Jia put her phone back in the pocket of her uniform blazer and looked down at Akechi slumped over. He refused to meet her gaze. "We're going to Leblanc," she stated. "Here." She offered him the hoodie she kept in her bag and used it to cover his head in case a passerby were to recognize him. Akechi said nothing as Jia pulled the hoodie over his head and guided his arm to loop with hers so they wouldn't look too suspicious.

They caught the last train to Yongen-Jaya and made their way to Leblanc. Jia lightly tapped on the front door after seeing Akira and Morgana sitting at the counter. Akira rushed to open the door and let them inside. "You're alright!" Morgana exclaimed, running across the counter to greet Jia over by the bookshelf. "And..."

"He's weak," Jia said, eyes pleading with Akira.

"Let's bring him upstairs," Akira replied, reaching for Akechi's other arm. 

"I can walk on my own," Akechi grumbled. Jia startled at the sound of his voice for the first time since leaving Shido's palace and let him remove himself from her grasp. Akira, Akechi, Jia, and Morgana made their way upstairs, and Akira motioned for Akechi to take the bed. "Don't," Akechi started, slumping onto the couch. 

"The last train left for tonight," Jia said shyly. 

"You can take the bed," Morgana offered.

"No, no. I can take the floor," Jia rushed, quickly make-shifting a bed on the floor with the spare blanket that Sojiro gave Akira for the upcoming, cold nights of a Japanese December. Akira sent a short message to Sojiro, who was appalled at the presence of the popular ace detective and opponent to the phantom thieves. Whether in shock or goodness of his heart, Akira couldn't tell through text, Sojiro said it was alright for Akechi and Jia to stay for as long as they needed to. 

Jia looked over at Akechi who still refused to lay down. She noticed he was cradling his left arm, rose from her position on the floor, and reached out for his arm. "Don't touch me," Akechi warned. Jia ignored his threat and wrestled to push his jacket sleeve up to his elbow. It wouldn't fold high enough to see what the issue was, so Jia sighed and braced herself.

"Take it off," She ordered. Akechi glared at her. "I'm not asking you again." Jia met his glare with her own. More than anything, she was annoyed he was denying friendship again. Akechi snorted, and Jia was ready to retort, but she realized he reached for the buttons of his blazer and slowly removed it. Akira glanced over at them from his position at the desk, sighed in relief and slight amusement at Akechi finally giving in, and returned his attention to the infiltration tools he was crafting. 

Akechi haphazardly threw his blazer onto the table in front of him and proceeded to remove his button-down shirt until he was left in a white sleeveless undershirt. Immediately, Jia noticed all the bruises and not just the largest one on his upper left arm. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She remembers striking him with the butt end of her lance as she dodged his own attack.

"Hmph," Akechi grunted. Whether he accepted her apology or simply acknowledged it, she didn't care. Jia took the clean handkerchief from her bag and went down the stairs to get some ice. Wrapping some cubes in her handkerchief, she brought it back upstairs and sat next to Akechi. "You cannot be serious," He grumbled unceremoniously. Jia ignored him again, avoided looking at his face, and applied the make-shift ice pack to the largest of the bruises on his left arm. Akechi hissed, and she relieved some pressure.

"Why did you save me?" Akechi whispered, his voice lacking the sting of Loki's master. Jia looked back up to his face to see he was looking down at his lap. Akira, subtly listening in, couldn't help but wonder the same. Jia risked her life to help someone who had tried to kill her. Jia took time to consider her answer before deciding to be brutally honest.

"I couldn't leave you to die," She whispered back, looking down at her handkerchief. Feeling him tense, she hurriedly added, "And you know, we could use your help! Changing Shido's heart, I mean," Jia trailed off, knowing how stupid she must've sounded. Akechi took a deep breath in and sighed. He didn't offer any resistance as Jia continued to care for the bruises and open wounds with the bandages that Morgana offered. When she did all she could, she went downstairs to possibly find more ice, Akira in tow.

As quietly and subtly as he could manage, Akira whispered, "You should've told him." Startled by the sound of his voice in her ear and what he said, Jia jumped and dropped the ice in her hand to the floor.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Jia shook her head. "I meant what I said. It would've been a cruel fate." 

"True," Akira remarked, stirring the curry he was making for everyone. Thankfully, he said no more on the topic. Jia used a towel to dry the puddle the ice created and threw the dirty cubes into the sink. 

"Anyway I can help?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just make sure this doesn't burn while I make some coffee. Should only be a few minutes," Akira said, handing the wooden spoon to her. Jia took it, lowered the heat on the stove, and continued to stir. Silently, they finished preparing dinner and set three servings at a booth, and Akira opened a can of cat food to give to Morgana. Jia went upstairs to fetch the others and found Akechi slumped over, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, lost in thought. Morgana was curled up on Akira's bed. 

"There's food, you guys," Jia announced. Morgana stretched and made his way down the stairs. Akechi's eyes followed him before he stood up himself. Wordlessly, he followed Jia downstairs to the cafe. The four of them ate together, chatting about school, extracurricular activities, and even Ryuji's unfortunate experience in the Red Light District. Akechi didn't do much talking other than acknowledging some comments. He sat next to Jia, caressing his upper arm over the nasty bruise. 

Morgana and Akira glanced at each other, and Akira quickly cleaned the table, took Morgana, and left the cafe all within a span of only 10 minutes. Where he went was a mystery to Jia, but she could barely concentrate on that when she finally realized the awkward silence between her and Akechi, alone in the cafe. The TV was still on, playing the midnight news. 

Jia began to speak. "I-"

"No," Akechi interrupted. His eyes remained transfixed on the magazine on the table in front of him. "Allow me to... to apologize." He stood up and switched to the other side of the booth. For a quick-witted and charismatic celebrity, Akechi now seemed to be at a loss for words. "I'm.. sorry."

"Don't mention it," Jia mumbled. 

"You should've let them kill me." Jia snapped her head up and met Akechi's calculating gaze. "It's what I deserved."

"No one deserves that." She argued, clenching her cup of coffee tightly.

"After what I've done-"

"No." Jia's anger and annoyance were slowly rising. "You need to shut up. Even after discovering what you did, all we wanted to do was save you," In fear of breaking the ceramic dish, she put the cup of coffee down. "We have the same enemy.  _ Why  _ wont you let us help you?  _ Why  _ wouldn't you let  _ me  _ save you?!" Jia rose from her seat and slammed her hands down on the table.

"Save.. me?" Akechi mumbled.

"For the longest time, I watched you try to build your reputation, get perfect grades, be the 'ace detective' everyone saw you as," Jia sat back down. "You didn't live to make yourself happy; you just wanted everyone else to be happy with you. I wanted to.. to change your heart. That's why I joined the Phantom Thieves." Akechi said nothing. "After we fought, I hoped and hoped you would join us. That we could save you. Fight the evil adults  _ together. _ " Suddenly emotional, she stood and shouted, "And then you tried to get yourself killed! You idiot!" 

Akechi rose to meet Jia's glare. She looked away and, in an effort to hide her tears and end the conversation, took the ceramic cups away and took them to the sink to wash them. Jia washed all the dishes with what she thought was too much force, and just stood there, lifting her eyes to the TV screen. 

Jia felt a strong grip on her left arm and swung her right arm instinctively to slap whoever it was. Akechi's left arm grabbed the wrist that was coming at his face, wincing for a split second as the bruise's soreness kicked in before replacing the look with his usual, well-composed, emotionless face. 

Before Jia could ask what he was doing, Akechi let go of her arms, gripped the top of her shoulders, and pulled her into a searing kiss. It wasn't graceful; Jia didn't expect it and maybe neither did Akechi. Their teeth clanked together at first and Jia instinctively tried to lean back away from him, but Akechi held firm. Jia found herself giving in and began to relax, resting her hands on Akechi's chest and adjusting their lips so it was less teeth and at a less nose-crushing angle. 

Akechi loosened his grip on her shoulders and moved his hands to Jia's hips, even though the motion was somewhat painful. Jia noticed the slight wince at the motion and pulled back. "Akechi-" 

"I'm fine," Akechi breathed, leaning in again, but Jia dodged his lips. He looked down in disappointment. 

"We've been through a lot today," Jia whispered, gently caressing his upper arms. "Let's rest for today, please." She didn't  _ want _ to stop, but she wasn't sure where this was going to go nor when Akira and Morgana were going to come home. Akechi in pain was also something she was trying to avoid. 

Akechi nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "Fine." He and Jia made their way upstairs and Akechi made his way to the couch. Jia helped him lay down and covered him with the thin blanket that Akira gave him. "What about you?" Akechi asked as Jia made her way towards the stairs. 

"You never gave me the chance to finish cleaning up," Jia chuckled. "I'll be finished soon." Before he could say anything else, Jia rushed down the stairs to wipe the table.  _ Thank goodness tomorrow's Sunday,  _ Jia thought, looking at her phone and seeing that it was already one o'clock in the morning. Almost as if on cue, the bell above the door jingled, and Akira came in, setting the Morgana bag on the table. Morgana himself climbed out of the bag, stretched, and made his way onto the counter. 

"Did you talk to him?" Morgana asked as Jia wet the cloth she was planning to use to wipe the table down. 

"Yes. I think he'll fight with us," Jia replied, a subtle blush creeping to her cheeks. 

"So did you  _ talk _ or-" Akira stifled a laugh.

"I need to finish cleaning," Jia rushed, hiding her face with her hands and basically running to finally scrub the table that they sat at. Morgana let out a hearty laugh and Akira and Jia finished cleaning before finally going upstairs for the night. 

Akechi tried to fall asleep, but his head was spinning.  _ Did Shimada-san tell them what happened?  _ He cringed at the thought. He listened to them banter downstairs but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He quickly shut his eyes when he heard footsteps coming back upstairs, but cracked them open just a sliver to see what was going on. Akira got into bed and Morgana curled up on top of him. Jia lay on the floor and got as comfortable as she could on the thick blanket with another sheet on top. Akira's breathing soon became heavier, Morgana's became more even, and Jia started to snore softly. 

_ Jia,  _ Akechi thought. He looked at her sleeping frame in the moonlight through half-lidded eyes and thought about what she said earlier. 

_ " _ Why _ wont you let us help you? Why wouldn't you let  _ me _ save you?!" _

_ "For the longest time, I watched you try to build your reputation, get perfect grades, be the 'ace detective' everyone saw you as." _

Akechi gripped the blanket until his knuckles went white. He hated her for showing him pity. He hated her for being  _ right.  _ Most of all, he hated how he's now in her debt. She saved his life, now he has to do something to repay it. Akechi's thoughts and exhaustion finally started to get to his head, and his lids started drooping. Finally, he gave into sleep and let his mind go blank.

~*~

The Phantom Thieves gave Akechi a week to rest before they decided to activate the "Futaba Cannon." As Futaba prepared their calling card, Akira passed out new weapons that he had bought from Untouchable, and Jia observed the blunt, yet sharp-looking, edge of her new lance. Akira passed Akechi his new saber and he took it without a hint of emotion on his face.

Since their shared kiss, Jia and Akechi barely exchanged a word, mostly because they had no idea what to say to one another. Although Jia returned to her dorm on campus, she and Akira both agreed that it’d be safer for Akechi if he stayed on Akira’s couch until they were able to change Shido’s heart. After all, as far as Shido is concerned, they were both considered dead. 

"Alright, gang," Futaba announced. "It's showtime!" She pressed a button on her computer, and all the Phantom Thieves gathered around to watch what she created. 

~*~

”... Wow.” Makoto’s shocked expression spoke volumes for everyone else that hadn’t spoken.

”Do you think it worked?” Haru asked.

”Oh, it worked alright,” Morgana snickered. “Most likely.”

”’Most likely?’” Ryuji inquired, concerned.

”It was projected to the entire city!” Morgana argued. “I’d be surprised if he  _ didn’t  _ see it!” Everyone accepted that argument, and Akira adjourned the meeting. Everyone left save Akechi, Jia, Akira, and Morgana. 

“So, we take on Shido tomorrow,” Jia blurted out, handing her lance back to Akira. Since she lived at school, she figured it’d be smarter to leave her weapons with their leader rather than have them found on her person.

”So it seems,” Akechi replied. 

”Are you really okay with doing this?” Morgana asked Akechi. Almost taken by surprise at his sincere concern, Akechi coughed to cover his sputter.

”I’m quite alright,” He responded, settling down into one of the booths. Sojiro closed the café early for the Phantom Thieves’ meeting, so they were free to relax. “You’re asking me as if I wasn’t planning to change Shido’s heart for myself.” Jia cringed as she recalled Akechi iterating his plan to essentially make Shido his puppet.

Akechi noticed Jia tense and looked away from her.

”Ahem,” Akira cleared his throat. “We’re gonna go, uh... stock up on medicine.” He urged Morgana into his bag. Morgana physically and audibly struggled.

”But the clinic isn’t open in the evenings!” Akira hissed and resorted to quite literally shoving Morgana into the bag and running out of Leblanc.

”I’ll never understand those two,” Jia managed to muster up a weak chuckle. When Akechi didn’t respond, she felt even more awkward. “I should, um, get back to the dorm-“ when she turned to leave, he gripped her arm gently but with some force.

”Stay here tonight.” Jia turned to him, eyes wide in shock. 

“That’s... not up to me,” She responded. “That’s up to Akira.”

”He’ll understand.” Akechi’s grip softened, but he didn’t move. “We need to talk.”

”Then let’s talk,” Jia said. Akechi let go of her arm and let her sit next to him in the booth. They sat in silence for a while before Akechi spoke.

”You and I,” He said, almost shyly. “What are we doing?”

”I... don’t know,” Jia responded honestly. Her heart was beating at an extremely rapid pace. She had been wondering the same thing since he kissed her, but he’d barely spoken a word to her since then. 

“You saved my life, but I can’t even be honest with you,” Akechi chuckled. “I really am hopeless, aren’t I?”

”Here we go,” Jia sighed, exasperated. Akechi lifted a brow, urging her to continue. “You think everything is give and take. There’s almost no room in your head for generosity.” Jia turned her whole body to face him. “Did you ever think I saved your life because I wanted to? I don’t expect a single thing in return, nor am I pitying you, do don’t start with that bullshit.”

Akechi’s opened his mouth to retort, but the look in Jia’s eyes stopped him. “I saved you because,” Jia bit her lip, but she figured she had nothing to lose. “Because I care about you.” Akechi stayed silent. “You’re mister popular who studied and ate with the person who had no one else at that school. Even though you had things to do, you wanted to impress others. But underneath that, I saw the boy that wanted to be free of all those burdens. If anything,” Jia moved to cover one of Akechi’s hands with her own. He flinched, but his gaze remained fixed on her face. “I paid you back for the year of friendship that you gave me. And... also because I selfishly didn’t want that companionship to end because you died. So in some ways, I didn’t save you for you, but for myself.”

Jia’s gaze shifted from Akechi’s face to their intertwined fingers. She couldn’t recall when exactly their fingers interlaced, but now she stared at their hands, minute scars from battle scattered about. “Well? Say something, Akechi-kun!” Jia cringed at her attempt at lifting the mood. 

“Shimada-san,” Akechi started. Jia began to mentally prepare for whatever was coming her way. Instead of harsh retaliation, there was a gentle touch against her chin, turning her face towards Akechi’s. He leaned in closer, but paused right before their lips could meet. “May I?” 

Jia shakily nodded and finally closed the small distance between them. Unlike their first kiss, this one started off gently. Akechi scooted closer and unlaced their fingers to hold Jia at the small of her back. Instead of trying to lean away, she leaned into his touch, gently caressing his upper arms. Akechi slowly began to deepen the kiss, leaning in further and pulling her closer. Jia complied, her hands moving up to tangle in his hair.

”Stay with me tonight,” Akechi breathed, trailing his kisses to her cheek and down to her neck. 

“Okay,” Jia held him as close as she could when he stopped kissing her. Instead, he nuzzled into her neck and let out a light laugh.

”I don’t deserve this,” Akechi sighed. He made a move to pull out of her embrace, but Jia pulled him against her even tighter. 

“If you don’t deserve this, then I don’t either.” She responded.

”I killed people,” Akechi began to shake. Jia couldn’t believe it. Goro Akechi was  _ crying.  _ ”I need to... atone.” 

“You can start by helping us change Shido,” Jia pulled away far enough to look at him in the eyes. Within the deep crimson orbs were sincere sorrow, vulnerability, and regret. “We will help you atone for your crimes. I swear.”

”I shouldn’t be allowed to feel... love,” Akechi said. As surprised as Jia was, Akechi himself seemed even more surprised from how much he tensed and began coughing wildly. Jia began to smooth his hair down, holding him against her. She was close to tears herself at his sheer vulnerability.

”Come now,” she chuckled, resting her forehead against his. “You wouldn’t want Akira seeing you like this.” This earned a genuine laugh from Akechi. 

“You really are strange,” He laughed. 

“Takes one to know one,” Jia smiled. “Goro.” Akechi snickered at the sound of his name.

”Jia,” He whispered, tasting the sound of her name. “My Jia.”

After spending alone time together, Jia and Akechi nearly sprung apart at the sound of the bell above the café door. “We brought back sushi!” Morgana exclaimed. Akechi and Jia looked at Morgana, then back at each other and let out hearty laughs. Morgana and Akira genuinely looked shocked at the pure bliss on Akechi’s face. They looked at each other, but shrugged and unpacked the sushi. Of course, Akira didn’t mind Jia staying over. He joked that someone could finally keep Akechi in check while he slept. 

In order to somewhat keep things under wraps for now, Jia took the couch, much to her protesting, while Akechi took the floor. Before she went to sleep, however, she decided to swing around her lance. For some reason, she was more skilled in the Metaverse than in real life, but she’d somewhat understood how to attack in the real world too.

Akechi laid on the floor, staring up at the star stickers that Akira put up. He snuck glances at Jia when he thought no one was looking and would smile to himself. To hide it, he’d glance at his phone and pretend to see something vaguely interesting on social media. Morgana and Akira finally curled up in bed, and Jia called it a night. She took her spot on the couch, but couldn’t help sneaking glances at Akechi as she scrolled through social media. Once, they made eye contact and looked away, smiling like idiots.

Even though they thought no one was watching, Morgana caught that last glance. He raised a brow and came to the startling discovery. However, he wasn’t just going to bring it up, so he decided to keep it to himself until the whole Shido thing was over. “Alright, folks. We got a big fight ahead of us. Best we get some sleep,” Akira declared. 

“Gotcha,” Jia put her phone on the table. “Good night, guys.” 

“Good night,” everyone else said in unison. Morgana and Akira started at the sound of Akechi being nice, but went to sleep anyway. 

~*~ 

“Stop!! If you hit him again, you’ll take serious damage!” Futaba noticed that Shido reflected physical attacks once Akira, Jia, Akechi, and Makoto tried to attack simultaneously with their weapons. Shido chuckled darkly as the beast he rode lifted its paw. Everyone dove out of the way as Jia summoned Kaguya to launch a Kougaon straight at Shido. 

“You got him, Luna!” Futaba cheered.

”Hecate!” Ann summoned her Persona to launch fire attacks as she dodged another swipe of the beast’s paw.

”Oracle!” Makoto called. “Is it getting any weaker?!” Futaba scrambled to scan Shido’s health.

”It’s weakening for sure!” She declared. “Wait, what is it-“ Before Futaba could announce what was happening, the beast sprouted wings and flew into the air.

”What the hell?!” Ryuji exclaimed, running to dodge the dive-bombing beast. 

“Let’s do this, Milady!” Haru called on her Persona to use Psiodyne.

”Wait, Noir!” Futaba shrieked, but it was too late. The Psiodyne was reflected back at Haru who didn’t dodge the attack in time. She didn’t take too much damage, but it definitely left its mark. “His weaknesses switched. Pound him with your physical skills and guns!” 

Jia took the initiative and whipped out her gun, raining bullets into the beast as it growled in pain. “What a nightmare,” Jia said in disgust. “He’s using the people to protect him.”

”That’s why we need to change his heart!” Yusuke summoned Kamu Susano-o to use Deadly Fury. 

“Right behind you, Fox!” Ann cried, using her whip to bring Shido down as everyone else rained hell with their weapons and guns. 

“Guys! Get back!” Futaba cried. Everyone leapt back as the masses began to transform again, this time, into a pyramid. “I don’t sense any strengths or weaknesses,” Futaba said. “But be careful!”

”You got it, Oracle!” Haru once again summoned Milady who rained bullets on the pyramid. 

“Loki!” Doing away with his “righteous ace detective outfit,” Akechi summoned Loki ordered him to swing his intimidating blade. Jia smiled a little to herself, summoning Kaguya to rain Bless attacks down on Shido. The pyramid stopped fighting back and began to gather light.

”It’s gonna be a big one!” Futaba warned.

”On it!” Makoto cried, summoning Anat to use Marakukaja to raise everyone’s defense while Morgana used Mediarahan to restore everyone’s HP. 

“Here it comes!” Futaba cried. Everyone proceeded to guard themselves and brace for the attack. Despite their preparations, the whole team felt the blow, and it definitely hurt. Once again, Morgana used Mediarahan while everyone regained their bearings and prepared to attack again.

Shido abandoned the masses once they failed him, much to everyone's disgust. “What a touching reunion,” Ryuji snickered. Shido looked at him in confusion. “What? Don’t tell me you don’t recognize these two.”

Shido looked over as Akira and Akechi removed their masks. “Huh?! The brat that tried to stop me when I was with that woman! And you,” Jia had never seen so much hatred and evil in a person’s eyes before. “You traitor. I will destroy you!” Shido ripped off his robes, displaying the scary muscles beneath. 

"Careful! Those muscles aren't just for show!" Futaba warned, nervously watching Shido's power levels rise steadily towards being off the charts. 

"Alright. Bring it on, tough guy!" Ryuji cried, rushing in.

"Skull, wait!" Ann yelled, rushing in to back him up. Shido very easily dodged Ryuji's hammer and landed a solid Tyrant's Fist, sending Ryuji flying back into the wall. 

"Skull!" Haru rushed to protect him, using Tetrakarn to try and give him time to recover. 

"I'll break him," Akechi growled, whipping out his sword and charging in. Akira and Jia didn't hesitate to follow him in, rushing in blow after blow. Although they were landing solid hits, it didn't seem like they were doing much damage. 

"Arsene!" Akira threw his mask towards Shido, and Arsene appeared, using a large dagger to use Brave Blade at Shido. Finally, everyone finally felt like they caught a break when he lost his balance and stumbled backwards. 

"Are you alright?!" Morgana ran over, Zorro using Mediarahan to heal everyone back up. 

"Yeah," Jia panted, having caught a sucker punch right to the chest. Winded, she stepped back and let Yusuke take her place on the front lines. Akechi ignored the urge to turn and see if Jia was okay and instead joined Akira, Yusuke, and Ryuji in a joint attack. Ryuji raised everyone's attack while Akira, Akechi, and Yusuke charged in with their weapons, personas in tow. 

"You bastard! I won't let you have this!" Shido cried. Suddenly, the ground erupted and everyone was blasted back save for Akira. When Akechi landed, there was a loud  _ pop _ , and he grunted in pain. 

"Oracle! How does it look?!" Makoto yelled, running to the guys' aid along with Ann, Haru, Morgana, and Jia. 

"He's wounded, but his strength barely dropped!" Futaba cried back, then used her persona to restore some of Akira's health. "Joker! Be careful!" 

"I WILL NOT stumble over mere minutia like yourself!" Shido charged at Akira, who was barely able to dodge the blow. 

Jia observed Akechi's shoulder that had dislocated out of its socket. Luckily, she knew how to put it back in place. "This is gonna hurt," she warned with a small smile, preparing to conduct the procedure quickly. 

"Do it." Akechi gritted his teeth. Jia bit her lip and snapped the bone back into its socket, and Akechi grunted in pain once more. 

"Don't move," Jia ordered, rushing out to watch the battle between Akira and Shido. They engaged in hand-to-hand combat, Akira's dagger slashing over and over again. "We have to get in there," Jia pleaded.

"I'm trying!" Morgana grunted, calling upon Zorro to try and break through the bright-blue flames separating them from Shido and Akira. Nothing seemed to work, and just being near the flames was almost enough to singe the eyebrows and lashes off their faces. Haru, Makoto, and Ann joined Jia once they got Ryuji and Yusuke settled. 

"Throw me, " Jia whispered. Her idea was crazy, yes, but if Akira gave in even an inch, he'd be in serious trouble. "Queen, Noir,  _ throw me now!"  _ Startled by her sudden demand, Makoto and Haru made a platform with their arms, and Jia jumped onto it, letting the two launch her high enough to get over the flames and intercept a blow from Shido that would've struck Akira. 

"Luna!" Akira cried. "Thank you," he added, realizing what she did.

"Don't mention it." Jia thrust forward, forcing Shido to step backwards. Together, Jia and Akira worked to tire Shido out, finally getting in some blows. 

"He's almost done for!" Futaba cheered. Jia stepped back as Akira prepared to give the final blow.

"Game over." With that, he took out his gun and fired a single bullet into Shido's arm, careful not to kill the Shadow. Shido stumbled back before collapsing onto the ground. The flames separating Jia and Akira from the rest were extinguished and everyone cheered. 

"Why are we showing him mercy?" Akechi glared at Shido's defeated Shadow on the ground. 

"We're not murderers," Makoto declared, giving Akechi a side glance before turning her attention to Jia and Akira. 

"Hmph." Akechi cradled his bad arm and joined the rest of the group.

"Luna, that was the craziest, stupidest, bravest thing I've ever seen!" Morgana exclaimed, jumping onto Jia's shoulder. Jia blushed and giggled. 

"I'm surprised about it myself. I knew I had to help Joker." Akira put his hand on Jia's shoulder, and Akechi grunted. The noise drew Ann's attention, and she looked back and forth between Akechi and Jia as a wide grin broke out on her face. 

"Crow!" She cried. Startled, Akechi looked at her. "You and Luna-" 

"Don't.. finish that sentence," Jia pleaded, sensing Akechi's growing discomfort. "Not here." Ann giggled as the treasure finally materialized above them. 

"A steering wheel..?" Ann inquired as Akira took hold of it.

”He did say he was going to steer the masses,” Jia pointed out. As Joker took the Treasure, everyone heard an explosion.

”What is happening?!” Ryuji cried.

”Something must’ve happened to Shido in the real world!” Morgana yelled. “We need to get out of here!”

”Thank you, Captain Obvious!” said Akechi as they made their way to the exit. 

When they finally made it back to reality, everyone reconvened at LeBlanc to celebrate their success. “Thank goodness!” Futaba cried. “I’m starving!” After helping Sojiro clean the mess, he treated everyone to a nice, warm meal as a thank you. 

Laughter filled the room as everyone celebrated. Inevitably, especially with Ann and Morgana conspiring together, the conversation drifted to Akechi and Jia. “I knew it!” Ann exclaimed.

”What do you mean?” Jia asked.

”We all see it,” Yusuke chuckled. Akechi hid his face in his cup of coffee. “Jia, you simply must tell us how you managed to change Akechi’s heart.”

”Easy. When he gives you that self-righteous bullshit, you yell right back at him.” Akechi glared at Jia over the rim of his cup as she shrugged innocently, and everyone laughed. 

“So Goro Akechi finally found someone who can tolerate his ass,” Ryuji laughed. “All things considered, you’re extremely lucky, man.” 

Akechi chuckled, setting down his coffee and looked around him. Whether it be the doing of a god or demon, his view of the world had been completely flipped. His eyes settled on Jia, who smiled back at him. He’d finally realized where he was supposed to be.


End file.
